PreChosen Fate 3: Without Redemption
by Darkened Author
Summary: Twists and turns tend to lead freinds into finding out things that they don't want to know. SEQUEL TO SILENT TEARS AND PAYING DEBT TO KARMA! DOES NOT STAND ALONE! Chap 7 reposted, Bonus Series Finale Chapter for all those who have read all three stories!
1. Mission Gone Wrong

Nightwing sat there rubbing his knuckles and rapping the window pane. There had not been a thing wrong in the city for weeks and it had been causing him unease. He couldn't sleep often. He hated to think it but he wanted someone to get hurt just so he cold sink his bare hands into a criminal's weak flesh. His punching bag was becoming soft. His mind had been clouded recently. He had been dreaming about Slade again and they were bringing back memories he had desperately tried to shut out. He shuffled down to the common room, sat down, stood up, sat down, and stood up again confused as if he had just woken up from dream.

"God damn, it am I going insane!" He called out to the empty room. It echoed, he shuttered.

"That can happen to a guy who doesn't sleep for days on end," a female voice said passively. It was Raven. She was sipping her tea.

"I haven't been tired."

"Not enough action! You punched your bag off the hook yesterday and it hit Starfire, I didn't think you noticed. You've been preoccupied I take it?"

"Heh... Yeah, maybe, just bad dreams."

"Well, I'm here to talk and all that crap."

He smiled, but then he remembered what she was asking about. "I've been dreaming about Slade." He shut his jaw, "You don't care, who am I kidding. You've just had a grudge on me ever since I pissed you off about Skyton."

"Why don't you just shut the hell up. I was trying to be nice, not something I do regularly, and you blow me off. This is why I hate you!"

"Don't turn this around," Nightwing snapped.

"Well are you gonna tell me or what?"

"Nothing," he said changing his mind about telling her, "just… forget it."

He could tell she was staring at the back of his head. It was wearing big holes straight into his brain. God, he hated that. He whirled around.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said, "You're not talking and you want to get it off your chest."

"Don't try to map out my mind Raven. As much as I like you there are things I don't want you to know," he snarled sarcasticly.

Raven glared at him with both pity and disgust.

Skyton walked past Raven into the room and paused. The tension in the room was killing him. He could sense it. Nightwing was hiding something from Raven and she was giving him that expecting look that made him feel like there were holes being bored into the back of his head.

"You always up this early?" he asked yawning and stretching his stiff arms.

They didn't answer. Raven continued to stare calmly.

Nightwing became angry, "Raven, I DON'T want to talk about it."

She stopped and looked down shifting her hands around her tea cup. Skyton started some coffee. It was pouring outside. It was only about one in the morning. Nightwing couldn't stop thinking about Slade. It was driving him insane.

"Raven..?" The former Boy Wonder asked timidly.

She smirked, "What happened?"

"Should I leave?" Skyton wondered out loud.

"Stay as long as you don't mind disturbing moments."

Skyton smiled, "You know every time I open my eyes I see my worst nightmares. I can handle your story."

"I… uhhh… I never told you what happened when I was Slade's apprentice…" he said slouching in his chair and brushing his hair back. "I… Slade had… he had a knack for seeking and exploiting weaknesses. Hey.. You know what, let me start from the beginning.

_Slade looked me in the eye. He said I'd been making progress. He wanted me to remember why I was doing this so he showed me his little button. He said he wanted to show me and then he wanted me to feel what would happen to my friends if I disobeyed him. He bent my arm behind me and threw me around a bit. That wasn't the worst of it though. He drugged me, a lot. He made me think I was the scum of the earth and I believed him. The drugs made me see things. I actually saw and felt the hallucinations. The drugs made me see al the awful things he could do to me. One time it made me see him flip me around and undo his zipper. I couldn't fight back, he said if I did he would push the button. After it was over, he told me he just wanted me to remember something for the rest of my life. I just lay there in shock, I guess. The thing was, when I woke up the next morning, he said that yesterday what had happened was an effect of the drugs, after I screamed at him for doing it. I wanted—_

Nightwing was gripping a mug of coffee so hard it shattered in his hand. He threw the bits onto the table and stormed out silently fuming, his palm scraped with bits of porcelain. Skyton was quiet. Raven was quiet also but she looked furious. She hated Slade maybe second to Nightwing. Skyton couldn't tell what this would lead to but he didn't want it to escalate. Not that it cold get any worse. Later that day when they were all training, Nightwing destroyed his punching bag.

He was hooking it up and punched it for the first time. It felt hard and cold. He hit it harder. He hated the bag. No, he hated Slade. The bag was Slade. Nightwing saw the bag as Slade in everyway. He hit it with fury and he hit it again so that it ripped in two. Skyton called for him to stop but got no response. He put a restraining hand on Nightwing's shoulder. Nightwing turned around and punched him with the same anger he had bestowed upon the bag. Skyton's jaw cracked and he fell over and rolled across the room. His jaw bled but he stood up. Nightwing escaped through the door and headed for his room, his fist bleeding. Skyton followed him out.

"Yo, Night. You need another outlet."

"Slade is dead."

"You think what I did killed him? No, hurting Karma got rid of the bad things on earth, but Slade is backed by the underworld gods."

"Where is he then?"

"Still in Arcane."

Nightwing shrugged and started to leave for his room again. Skyton headed back for the training room. They all stared at him expectantly.

"He's fine." Skyton sat down in the opposite corner of the room from Raven.

"Is he really ok?" She asked through her mind.

"Maybe, I think he's going to go out and kill Slade." Skyton returned.

"Are you ok?"

"Don't worry about me. I can take a punch."

They stopped talking. Skyton stood up and went to the roof. He sat down on the edge looked over towards the ground. Raven came up a bit.

"What are you doing?"

"Thinking about where everything went wrong."

They sat in the sun for a bit.

"Tell me, why am I attracted to you?"

"Love happens. It's my fault or yours," He paused. "But it might be my dashing good looks."

Raven imagined he was laughing under the full face mask he hid behind. She laughed.

"What good looks? I can't see anything but you left hand. Why don't you open your eyes. I mean the visions aren't real."

He shook his head, "You'd need more of an argument to get me to take this thing off. Give me on reason why I should take this off."

"Because you probably won't have them anymore now that Karma is finished with you."

He hesitated before taking his mask off. He opened his eyes slowly peaking out. A flash of red enveloped his eyes and he scrambled backwards. On his back he arched over his heart beat speeding up, right before he let out the scream. Once he shut his eyes he calmed down and scuttled away into the tower whispering to himself.

Raven pursued him inside and grabbed his shoulder whipping him around, "Nightwing is going after Slade," Skyton said after he sat down.

"Shouldn't we stop him?"

"He has to fight his battles."

"Should we help him?"

"He has to deal with this himself or he will feel that nothing will come of his…"

"Revenge," she finished.

Skyton rubbed his jaw thoughtfully.

"We shouldn't interfere."

They looked at each other and passed along the massage.

"He's gonna kill himself alone," Raven said.

"Lets go."

"Should we tell the others?"

"No. It's bad enough that we're interfering. Moreover, I bet Nightwing has made good time on us. We need to head out and we don't have time to wait for them to gather up. Meet me in front of the tower. He swooped off the edge of the tower and opened up a hatch in the ground that led to the garage. It was stocked. The city had offered the heroes whatever they needed and that meant a vehicle for every one of them.

He had to choose between his or Raven's. Hers was a bit more inconspicuous but his was more agile and that was what he needed. He jumped in and the engine purred to life he pulled it around smoothly to the front and Raven got in.

"Any idea where he could headed?" he asked.

"Arcane Asylem, step on it."

Skyton put on his mask. He loved it when someone gave him an opportunity to drive really fast.

"My pleasure," he smirked.

Raven hated it when he drove. She remembered that too late.

"Wait Sky--" She said eyes widening.

She was pressed back into the seat painfully as Skyton floored it. It should have been a three day trip across the USA but minus the fact that they were looking for Nightwing and he was not yet to Arcane and the fact that Skyton was driving like a lunatic it took them ten hours to catch up to Nightwing. But Nightwing didn't slow down when he saw them, in fact he sped up. Skyton pursued him through the busy rush hour traffic.

"Take the wheel," Skyton told Raven.

He lowered his window and climbed out onto the hood of the car. He jumped from car to car until he landed behind Nightwing. He jumped on behind him and got Nightwing to stop for a second but it was a lost cause. Nightwing sped up again and knocked Skyton off the bike. Skyton tumbled along the road way narrowly missing a car.

Raven skidded to a stop at Skyton and he climbed in.

"That hurt pretty bad," he said half-joking, half-hoping he wasn't bleeding anywhere.

They continued to follow him to Arcane but kept their distance. When they reached it Nightwing gave them a look and ran inside. They followed and Skyton told Raven tat he would not interfere unless someone was in danger. They saw Nightwing flip out a card, scan it, and enter the building. Raven and Skyton could not so this and so they waited anxiously. Next to them only a mere ten minuets later Nightwing and Slade came tumbling out of a first floor window. But they were not fighting, they were escaping. Guards poured out over the street. One of them looked at Raven and Skyton and asked them what they were doing.

"Call off the men we'll take it from here," Skyton said not moving.

"I can't do that. What are you bounty hunters!"

"No, just after a friend."

"I'll need to see some I.D."

"Not enough time for that," Skyton said jumping and flipping into the air and over at least eight people. Raven flew over right behind Skyton and they boarded their car. The Arcane Interpol vehicles shot out from under ground after them. Nightwing and Slade were down the road already. The Arcane cars flew around the corner after them.

"Nightwing won't stop until he has lost the Interpol," Raven reminded.

"I'll see what I can do."

Skyton steered the car hard let and ran one car into a drop box. He braked and the car that was headed for his now landed in a pacifists club. The third vehicle was a little harder to lose. Skyton eventually managed to outrun it with Nightwing and Slade. When Nightwing reached a deserted area he threw Slade off the bike and onto the pavement.

"I need this Slade. I want you to remember something for the rest of your life," He said maniacally, "But I'm not as sick as you, oh no. I just want to give you a little piece of my foot! You fuckin' sick asshole!"

He kicked him in the side and sent him sprawling. Slade stood up, he had ,more dignity than the king's scribe.

"Now, Robin, what is this going to solve?"

"A lot, if you come with me and become my personal punching bag. If you don't I'll take out my needs on you now."

"You might hurt me but you could never beat me."

"Oh, I'm gonna beat you. I'm gonna drug you and show you things I could do to."

"Not very original…"

"It came from the biggest and best of the bastards."

Nightwing pulled back his fist and hurled it forward Slade grabbed it but Nightwing kneed him in the groin. Skyton cringed from inside the car.

"Ok that's enough torture for one day," Skyton said to himself, stepping out of the car.

"Night, that's enough!"

Nightwing stopped and spit on the ground by Slade who was curled into a ball.

"I'll get rid of him."

"You do that," Skyton enforced.

Skyton entered the car again and looked at Raven.

"He's gonna dump him in the bushes. Let's go."

"No we should wait until he's actually done it. I don't trust him as far as I could throw him right now."

Nightwing disposed of Slade and climbed on his bike. A little while later they were on the thruway. Nightwing cruised to the left of Skyton who was behind the wheel. Quickly a white sedan with a mother and two children veered left and switched lanes cutting Skyton off. Skyton swerved the car right before deciding to turn the other way, right into Nightwing. Nightwing was hit and he pressed on his nitros oxide tank. Blue lights burst forward and Nightwing's bike flew under a semi-truck. Skyton saw as his face as torn off by the back or the truck. The smoke rose and Nightwing's motorcycle exploded off and he smashed straight into the sedan, instantly killing the woman and children. Skyton jumped out and tried to find Nightwing. When the carnage ended no one had found a body.

"The most likely story is that he was burned. The bike he had was using nitrox and that would interfere with the DNA patterns if we wanted to check the ashes," an officer said.

Raven would have liked to cry but she was tougher than that. Skyton just shook his head. When they reached home the others had been looking for them. Raven told them the story. Skyton was solemn. He cracked his knuckles.

The others left and spread out among the tower. Raven turned to Starfire.

"'I need to tell you something. I don't feel that Nightwing is dead. Something is wrong I can feel him. I'm going after him but I don't want Skyton or anyone else to come. The only way to do that is to go where Skyton can't follow. I'm going to leave my body here and find Nightwing with my mind and it will seem I'm dead. Don't tell anyone."

Starfire nodded expressing no emotion. Raven left to her room. She sat on the bed and meditated…

"Azerath Metrion Zinthos… Azerath Metrion Zinthos… Azerath Metrion Zinthos…" She chanted rubbing her temples with her middle and ring finger. She did this for a few moments and the she fell from her floating position and hit the floor and her soul left her body. It hovered for a moment and took off to find Nightwing.

Cyborg had finished making breakfast and Raven wasn't there. He went up to her room to find her. When he heard no answer he figured he could go in to take a peek and check for her. She lay there somewhere between spread eagled and curled into a ball.

"Oh god," he said stepping forward and picking up her wrist to take a pulse. Nothing and she was cold as the winter sky, "Help! Someone get up here!"

Down at the breakfast table Starfire stood up hearing the cries for help. Skyton followed her lead. Skyton reached Raven's room first and dashed in. He looked at Cyborg who shook his head. Skyton thought he felt his eyes blur over and his mask get wet. He fell to his knees involuntarily. Starfire placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

It was raining outside and Skyton left to stand in it. It made him feel calm sometimes. He stood there until his Jedi-like suit was soaked. Suicide was such a selfish thing to do. He clenched his teeth and landed a fist into the ground. He was ok now so he went back inside. He stood there dripping for a while. When he was semi dry he found the punching bag in the training room and landed a few punches on it. Nothing seemed to relieve his stress. He punched it faster and harder until he accidentally stuck his hand through the bag. A bone in his hand snapped.

"Ahh, fuck," he said pulling his hand back. He stepped downstairs and passed Raven's room. Something wasn't right he could feel Raven. As if she was there lurking in the shadows watching him. He turned around. The light over head flickered and went out. He turned around again and kept walking. The next light went out in front of him he broke into a run and reached the common room. He could hear him self breathing. He turned and faced the door and the light went out above him. He couldn't see anything. He backed into someone who knocked him aside. A green light burned in front off his face. It was Starfire.

"What's going on?" Skyton demanded.

She grabbed his wrist and jerked him up.

"I don't know the light just quit on me."

They backed up against each other and Skyton felt a flash of wind behind him. Starfire screamed in agony and collapsed to the floor. Skyton flipped out his lightsaber. Someone laughed behind him. He turned around. A glimmer of a red shape flashed passed the glow of his saber. Skyton danced around a bit something was moving at him. As it would have been about to hit Skyton shut off his saber and twirled to the side and swung his hand to the back of the enemy. He hit something but realized he had penetrated his hand on a spike. His warm blood dripped down his open wound. He yanked his hand back. He needed to get away. He ran to the door and swung it open. It was snowing outside. He took no time running outside. He turned around and faced the open door. Inside the lights flickered. His heart beat faster and faster. Starfire was in there and Cyborg as well. He had to go back in.

A shadow pulled around the building and landed in the garage. Skyton was stunned, Nightwing was alive. Nightwing pulled a large bag off the back of a large car and heaved it inside. Skyton followed. When Skyton found Nightwing inside he looked nervous.

"The crash? Uh… I was knocked off the bridge and I was knocked unconscious."

Skyton nodded unbelievingly.

"There's something in the tower. I think it might have killed Starfire."

Nightwing chuckled and the cleared his throat, "Holy crap, right, let's find it." He pulled out his staff slowly. They made their way to the common room in the dark. Nightwing fired a fuse in the box and the lights went back on. The Red X was standing in one corned of the room. Starfire was bleeding from the ankle. Nightwing twirled his staff and knocked X over. X slashed at Nightwing with a sharp disk. Nightwing dodged it and fell X and placed his staff at his throat. Nightwing jammed it into X's neck until it went straight through him. Blood seeped from the dead villain's neck.

"Shit, Night! What have you done!"

"He was working for Slade," answered Nightwing with a look of satisfaction.

"That doesn't mean you can kill him!"

"Too late," said Nightwing observing the dead corpse with a look that one gives to a new creation.

Skyton backed away from Nightwing with a look of horror.

"Raven is dead too."

Nightwing changed his expression from malicious to greedily sad. He said nothing. He left not saying anything. He walked back into the room ten minuets later. Cyborg walked in also.

"What the hell!"

Skyton said what had happened with a tone of unease.

Days passed and Nightwing became even more crazed with revenge for Slade. Starfire became progressively worse from a poison that had been on the blade that cut her. Cyborg was even more cautious lately than he ever had been. He locked his doors every time he entered and locked it when he left. It was at least four or five days after Raven's death when Skyton stumbled upon the room that the titans had built for Raven when her father had come. He swung open the door and found Slade, more or less, inside gropping at the door.

"Get me out before he comes back!"

Slade was missing an eye and a couple of fingers his arm bone was sticking out of the arm that hung loosely at his side. Skyton stepped inside the room and dragged Slade with him. He looked him over.

"What happened to you?"

"He's going to come back! We need to go now!"

"Who-"

Nightwing stood in the door way. He shut the door with one arm and stared at Skyton half evil, half crazed.

Skyton stepped back and pulled out his saber. Nightwing laughed.

"Night, don't make me hurt you. You need to come back to your senses."

"Hahaha heh. Funny Skyton but no. You don't know what he did to me. I'm just returning the favor to him."

"This is illegal."

"Shut up," Nightwing snapped, "just move out of my way it's time for his attention."

Skyton ignited his saber and held it at and arms length, "sorry Night I can't let this go on."

"Don't get involved in what you don't know anything about."

"No!"

Nightwing swung his staff at Skyton. Skyton blocked it with his saber. Nightwing hit again and again. Skyton did not want to return the attacks. He decided to fight back too late. Nightwing stuck his staff through Skyton's shoulder. Skyton collapsed. Nightwing smacked Slade's head against the wall and left. Nightwing locked the door and whistled a little bit.

Raven's soul rushed back to her body. It passed through and into her. She sat up with a cold sweat on her forehead. A searing pain shot through her shoulder. She fell over onto her bed. The pain passed and she knocked the covers off. Something was wrong. She knew someone had been hurt. Skyton. That was it. Her bond with him had carried the pain from him to her. She looked out her door. Nightwing was whistling. He was walking down the hall with a bloody staff. She stepped out.

"Nightwing!"

He turned around and she knew she had made a mistake. He looked at her coldly, his long black hair falling in front of his eyes. He had attacked Skyton.

"Oh god," she said taking off the other way. He followed her braking into a run when she did. She turned a corner and ran up against her security room. Someone was inside clawing at the door. Nightwing rounded the corner and slowed down and faced her. He ran at her with his staff. He pointed it at her and charged. She leaped up onto his extended staff twirled around it and knocked him off his feet.

"You won't win Night."

"Starfire will be dead, Beast boy has been dead, Skyton is near death, Cyborg will be killed. I am going to end your misery."

She stepped back and he threw a bird-a-rang at her. It passed her by inches snipping of a piece of her hair. She swiped at his with a bolt of energy and he was cut across the chest painfully. He staggered back and fell down against the door. She passed his and swung open the door. Slade fell out looking like he had been ripped to pieces. Skyton was up against the wall dazed from loss of blood. Slade was crawling away. Raven ran to Skyton and raised his head.

"Get out of here. He's gone mad. He's crazed with revenge. Get Cyborg and leave," Skyton urged weakly.

Raven stood up and looked at him one last time.

"Try not to die."

"Go."

She ran out and head around the corner. Slade was gone by now. Nightwing stood up and looked around. He saw Skyton and picked up his staff.

He mumbled something about finishing him off. He raised his staff and stuck it through Skyton's neck.

"Goodbye old friend. You should not have interfered with my affairs. More importantly than Slade was Raven. She was mine before you even came to earth but she fell for you so I tried to kill her. You deserve to die. Can't you see you're in the wrong here? Damn you! Once your dead Raven will come too me with her sorrows and cry into my shoulder and I will rule my life again."

"You forgot," said Skyton his neck closing up and the wound dissipating, "three things. One, she would know that you killed me. Two, I heal from physical wound rather fast. And three, I kick your ass every time."

"What! Hell no! I just killed you!"

Skyton stood up and rolled his shoulders. He stood in a casual fighting stance. Nightwing tossed his staff aside and laughed. They clashed their way through the building and Nightwing was looking bad sooner than he would have liked. Skyton hadn't a scratch on him. Nightwing had one more trick up his sleeve. He blew up a smoke grenade right on himself and made his way behind Skyton. He pulled out a dagger and slit Skyton's throat. Skyton fell down dead. A few miles away Raven died. Cyborg grabbed her body and ran. Inside Nightwing laughed with glee at his kill. He walked up to the infirmary where Starfire was. She was sweating coldly. He stepped closer to her and wiped the sweat off her face with a caring hand. He looked lovingly into her closed eyes but his expression changed to hideous disgust. He unsheathed his knife and jammed it into her heart.

Nightwing's face flickered different emotions. It landed on frightened.

"What have I done?" he fell up against the wall and sunk to the ground with his hands around his knees, "No I needed to do it. They would have killed me. They wouldn't understand that I needed to kill Skyton. Damn them all!"

Cyborg kept running to an unknown destination. He was completely horrified. He was the only one left. Nightwing had killed the rest. His hate for Slade had driven him to murder them all. He knew he would be the next target. He needed help.

_**Skyton's POV:**_

Skyton had a very vague idea of where he was. Large golden gates stood at the bottom of a large pyramid that seemed to extend forever. He was in the middle of a line of about five hundred people. Up at the front of the line was a man with a book he was chanting a little song over each person that stepped up to the gates. The young man stopped all of a sudden and flipped a few pages into his book and scanned it slowly.

"Skyton Elengo, Starfire, and Rachel Roth please step forward."

Skyton did and saw that two others stepped forward also. The character at the front of the line looked them over. He pointed at Skyton and Rachel Roth,

"Step aside please," he looked at Starfire. Then he looked at Skyton and Rachel, "You two have a bond. One of you dies the other does as well. This is not approved of but it was not your decision to create it. You two had been sold to Karma but you defied him. You are the most powerful being I have ever laid eyes on yet you are dead. How could this happen?"

Skyton responded, "We are only mortal."

He thumbed through his book, "It was not meant to happen this way. I must send you back. You have saved too many lives to deserve death. Goodbye."

Skyton was rocketed back to earth. Starfire and Raven were on his right. The earth grew and they landed as if they had not been shooting down to earth at one million miles a minuet. Skyton looked around, they were in titans tower. Skyton's body was on the floor with red X's. Skyton's Jedi-like costume was covered in blood. Nightwing could be heard whistling upstairs. Skyton clenched his fist. Starfire's eyes flickered green and Raven breathed deeply.

"He killed me because he loved you," Skyton said without making any eye contact.

"I know," Starfire responded.

"No Star. I'm sorry I was talking to Raven."

"What!" Raven said disturbed.

"I'm not joking."

"It would be pretty sick if you were."


	2. Madmen

Skyton was rubbing a sore chest when he began to hear Nightwing's jaunty whistling down the hall again. Raven shuttered and blinked back what Skyton thought might have been a tear. He did a double take when he noticed her garments were red. Her eyes remained their perpetual violet and they glanced at him every so often. Had it been another life, or even just another time, he might have reflected on how lucky he was to have her, and how desperately he wanted to do thing with her that couldn't be put on TV, at least not during the day. Raven's hands were clenched, the sun was coming up and Skyton knew that it would be time to face Nightwing. How he planned on dealing was another story entirely, a short one. He had no idea. Raven was more likely to know how to deal with him. It wouldn't just be a matter of killing him. Raven could do that all to easily.

Skyton imagined she wanted to attempt to save him from himself. If it were possible. Skyton stood up and stretched, pulling every muscle he had in four directions. Without warning, his shirt tore into three pieces and two brilliant white feathered wings burst from his back. He blinked and stared behind him eying the massive appendages he had mysteriously acquired. Raven curiously glanced over her shoulder, half to avoid looking at his bare torso, half to see if she had her own. She couldn't feel anything behind her so she did exactly as Skyton did. She had indeed her on but it became awkward when she began to stretch them and almost tore her own shirt, almost.

Skyton, with other things on his mind, folded his wings up, feeling very much like a large cumbersome duck, and put on what he could of his tattered shirt. It was at this point that Nightwing entered the room and made a self note to kill his victims more thoroughly.

His joy at seeing Raven was no less than overwhelming and he would have run over to hug her but she was in pain, she wanted something from him and it was one of those things he figured he probably couldn't give her.

She began to speak, but Nightwing already knew he didn't want to listen. The others had undoubtedly gotten her to think like them. She would listen to him so he shut her out to.

Raven saw Nightwing's lip twitch in anger and she closed he mouth watching him. Skyton was beyond anger. He was beyond self control too. He didn't have to wait long before Nightwing jumped for Raven, his staff in hand. Raven lifted her hand and began to throw up a shield but nothing came and she caught the staff by accident, injuring her hand. Skyton reached for his saber but found a silver bow staff in it's place.

Thinking quickly, Skyton used it to throw at Nightwing who then caught it and used his own to swing at Skyton. Skyton flew backward knocking into a wall. He stood and then spread his wings leaning forward and taking flight. Nightwing was coming for him when Skyton realized this battle was futile. Diving towards Raven and grabbing her by the middle he flew from the tower and out of a broken window.

"They say a madman has the strength of ten!" Nightwing called.

Skyton hovered in air and turned putting raven down on the top of the building. His eyes glowed deep red. He flew down next to Nightwing and whispered into his ear, "I know, you've just met one."

Skyton raised his fist behind his head and brought it down.


	3. King and Queen

Skyton's fists flashed, his face moving in and out of focus. Nightwing broke a sweat trying to keep up with the unending barrage of attacks. Skyton kept using his wings to keep his balance and throw Nightwing off. Raven sat on the roof, oblivious to the happenings below her. He fiddled with her powers, attempting different tricks while nothing came of it. She could summon the darkness within her. She was no longer a daemon; she was a daemon from heaven. Meanwhile down below, Skyton was the angel from hell and Nightwing knew it.

Grasping onto the biggest object possible, Nightwing hurled himself behind it as Skyton released a cloud of white mist into the air. Nightwing coughed and ran from the room. Skyton stared after him, hatred boiling thick within him.

Slowly, Skyton flew to the top of the titan's tower and sat next to Raven. She was solemn, lying back against a post, waiting for him. He had nothing to say and she preferred it that way.

A gust of wind knocked over a garbage can,

A old tree fell and crushed a sapling,

Two heroes shared an everlasting moment atop their home, waiting for what was to come. They didn't have to wait long.

An explosion downtown sent a fiery oil tanker straight for Raven, She ducked to the right and ran off the edge of the building, Skyton grabbing her waist and taking off.

Downtown was in flames when Skyton arrived with Raven under him. Beasts of all sizes passed trough a large porthole, roaring and screeching as they terrorized the city. Raven's eyes looked toward the porthole where Slade was casting a beam of red light into the schism between worlds. Skyton dropped Raven down to the square below and she looked the beast in front of her in the eye before killing it with a swift move.

The other creatures halted and looked toward her. She was in their midst, awaiting their judgment. One of them took a knee before her, soon followed by the hellish army in its entirety. Slade ceased his casting and the door to hell closed. He caught her eye sneering at her with nothing but contempt.

One of the creatures walked up behind her, Skyton could only call it a wisp of smoke, but it indeed had a voice and it whispered into Raven's ear, "My queen."

Raven whirled around and the creatures stormed past her into the city, and the world beyond. Raven looked up at Skyton and saw one of the larger daemons jump from the street below and tackled Skyton from the sky. Raven began to rush to his air but was stopped when Slade grabbed her from behind. She struggled to free herself, hitting him it the groin.

Again the daemons halted and chanted in unison, their voices making an eerie nasal tone, "Do not attack the king, great one."

Slade murmured into Raven's ear, "Come wife, we have guests at home."

"Get of me you fucker, didn't Nightwing humble you at all!" Raven cried as she struggled, refusing to recognize the futility of this battle.

Raven's eyes widened as Slade dragged her off, the porthole was reopened… The last thing she could see before she was thrown through into the fiery abyss was Skyton being buried under countless amounts of flesh eating creatures as he fought for his life. 


	4. Journey

The air was the quietest she had ever known it to be. Whenever she wanted she could single out noises. Starfire sat on a golden bench, her small outfit now gone. All the angels around her were naked just the same, and no one seemed to care. She sat there awkwardly, covering her breasts and crossing her legs. White wings were folded on her back and she would stretch them often. She knew that this was the afterlife. It was good to be here, to be free. The only thing that bothered her was that she was staring to forget things, what her name was, who her friends were.

She only had the urge to reach the top of the pyramid that lay before her, long golden staircases that turned in an unusual manner and its peak, hidden in the clouds. She began to fly upward but the farther she flew the harder it became until her body could take it no longer. She landed somewhere on the pyramid, unsure of how far she had come. The distance to the top seemed the same though. A woman saw her land and mentioned something about taking the long road for it was the journey that mattered. Starfire, humbled by the woman's words, continued upward walking for what seemed like days. She would stop only to sleep and ask where the top was. No one knew.

Eventually she cared no longer about her bareness and continued, her mind set on reaching the top. Nearing the end of one hallway she came across a man, near her age, maybe slightly younger, about twenty she guessed. He stood greeting her, watching her long silky red hair in the sun. Apparently he sought the same thing she did. Every stairway led up but none of them led to the peak of the pyramid. Starfire was not particularly versed in man to woman relationships and ended up asking some rather uncomfortable questions. The man was reluctant to answer every time and when he did it sounded more and more like a chemistry class then what it was. He insisted they remained on the task at hand but Starfire was too curious to ignore him for long.

They reached a door leading inside the pyramid and proceeded into its depths getting lost more than once. She asked him if anyone had ever reached the top and he nodded.

"Many people have done it but they are forbidden from telling how."

Starfire nodded ignorantly before suddenly remembering that she was in all respects dead.

"How did you die?" she decided to chance.

He fidgeted and mumbled, "I don't want to talk about this. Look even if were just friends, you're moving kind of fast," he giggled nervously and scratched the back of his head.

"I am sorry, friend. I did not mean to hurt you."

For another day they journeyed onwards seeking out a way to the top. Starfire sat down to catch her breath and he stopped with her. Starfire thought about the past few days thinking about things that might lead her to believe she knew the way to the top. She looked at the man beside her and then stood up, with a moment of realization.

She yanked him up and he stood. "Friend, we need not find the top, we are already there!"

It was true; she turned and saw a large wooded door before her.

"Friend, our journey is complete! Learning that this was our journey, was the journey!" But when she turned around he was not there.

"Friend?" 


	5. Turned

Skyton swam through a sea of creatures, his wings being cut and slashed apart. Summoning all his energy he screamed blasting more than throwing daemons from his body. "Suffer! Fuckers!" he yelled beating one of the creatures faces to a thick pulp, his hand mangling the flesh.  
Slade watched for a moment before jumping through his doorway and sealing it behind him. Skyton took to the air, the flying beasts perusing him with gusto. Skyton landed, and took up popping his knuckles. When he was done he waited for the creatures to land themselves. Skyton waited until the biggest one was in arms reach and then stuck him stiff hand through the beast's heart. The creature's exoskeleton broke two of his fingers as his hand went trough but he could care less. The smaller daemons swarmed him and he flipped over the first's shoulder, knocking the other two's heads together with his feet. When the last of the creatures around him were dead, he got a realization of how alone he was. There was no one here with him. Star was dead, Nightwing was insane, Cyborg was missing and to his sheer disgust Slade was probably molesting Raven somewhere below the earth.  
Skyton slammed his fist into the concrete with anguish. The beasts were now all over the city, maybe ten or twelve a block, too many for him to handle. Slade had won this round and unless Skyton could get Raven back the war would be over for him too. Skyton felt overwhelming fear, it must have been Raven, their bond crossing the distance between planes to reach Skyton and haunt him. Skyton turned and looked at the ground as he suddenly became nauseas. He collapsed and vomited on the ground. When he finally regained control of himself he stood and observed the chaos below. Daemons flooded the streets and killed without warning. He swooped down and knocked a beast to the side saving a little girl. He smiled, semi frightened and ran to Skyton grabbing his hand. She would let go. Skyton looked around, He needed help and he knew where it would come from. Clutching the girl in both arms he flew upward, towards a gap in the clouds. When he passed it he was back by the golden gates, the old man sitting in front of his marble desk, flustered with different papers. While there was a line that seemed to extend forever, waiting to be admitted into paradise, he paid no attention to them and continued to struggle to organize himself. As soon as he looked up, he saw Skyton there with the girl in his arms and wiped some sweat from his brow.  
"Thank my master! You have arrived. When is Raven?" he uttered his small frail body quivered "She has been taken, I need help"  
"Indeed, and I can take you to the one who will help you"  
Skyton nodded, and the man blinked twice. Skyton felt a rush of air, neither cold nor hot and when he turned there was a large wooden door in front of him. His clothing had vanished and he, surprised, covered himself. The old man chuckled and Skyton sneered. The old man pointed to it and Skyton thrust them open, stepping through. A bright light blinded him and he was before an alter. He reached up feeling the globe. A small sphere hovered above it. Skyton looked blankly at it for a moment before hearing a familiar voice. "Friend Skyton"  
When he turned Starfire was running towards him, her slim curves caught in the light. She was a fully grown woman and had lost her distinguishing tamarainian behavior years ago but it seemed to be resurfacing here. Skyton turned away, insisting on not looking at her. She jumped into a hug and he caught her, not thinking. When he put her down, she smiled at him, only innocently glad he was there. A voice echoed in his mind and Starfire stared around curiously.  
Skyton couldn't understand the language that was being said to him, only the meaning of the words. He knew they meant that he and Starfire would be sent back to fight the creatures but he couldn't catch how he was expected to win. Another flash of light sent Skyton, still undressed back to earth and onto the rook top where he stood. He looked around expecting to see the little girl but there was no such thing. She must have been left in the sky. "Starfire," Skyton began, "I have to fill you in, Cyborg is missing and I can't feel anything but anguish from Raven who was taken by Slade a while ago. We're alone here"  
Starfire's eyes burned and she cried silently, tears slipping down her cheek. There was a crash and Skyton looked up to see bleeding angels swarming from a hole in the clouds. One of them landed and cried out to Skyton, "You brought it there fool! What were you thinking"  
Skyton looked around confused as angels started to land and attack the man eating beasts in the streets below. The old man floated down beside Skyton and tapped Starfire and he lightly on the head. Skyton fell out of consciousness, Starfire followed. When he woke up he was being closely guarded by two large looking red and black creatures. The old man was sitting quietly in a corner and Skyton got up to stand next to the man. He sat up but he felt something tug on his arm. Outside the window the angels had eradicated most of daemons. When Skyton turned to see what was holding him back, he saw a black aura around his arms. He pulled on them, more testing his restraints, than trying to escape. From another room, far away he guessed he heard Starfire scream and Slade grunt. Pulling harder only injured Skyton's wrists and he gave up steaming. The old man stood approached Skyton, not whispering or trying to be quiet by any means. The beasts did not turn. "Skyton, you have done more for me than I could have imagined. You have allowed my dreams to come true. The daemons will have a new elite force and soon it will become the standard"  
Skyton flamed with anger, kicking the sheet that lay over him on the bed, "You bastard, you sided with them. You're a coward!" Skyton spat and the man swung his hand blocking the saliva. He wiped it off on his clothing furious. "You don't understand, they need your angelic genetics, angels have always been more powerful, the daemons have long sought the information. Then they found me. I was given a choice. Tell them what they need to create their super daemons, or die. Skyton they need your seed. Send her in!" the old man barked.  
The man and beasts left and the doors were closed. Skyton tugged on his restraints and cried out. Shortly afterward, the door swung open and Raven drifted in smiling seductively.  
Skyton looked around, confused, "Raven finally we can get out"  
But she flicked her wrists and the restraints disappeared. She was dressed in a silk outfit, Skyton could see all. Her wings were gone and she walked over to him as he stood up.  
"Skyton, you've been seeing this wrong. We were plagues by people like you, not the other was around. I need you Skyton, to help me help my people." Skyton backed up agents the all and Raven moved up to him, he dress falling down her shoulders and she bit his lip gently.  
"I need you." 


	6. Get a little help from my Friends

Raven sat back on the wall next to Skyton who rested quietly, fully ashamed of how easily she had seduced him. The sheets covered her bare body and she lay still, savoring the events that had taken place.

Starfire had stopped screaming and the building remained quiet until the old man wandered in.

"Is it done my queen?"

Raven nodded, biting her lower lip. The old man sighed and smiled, your children will receive the blessing. The old man looked down on her and left. Skyton fumed under the blankets.

"You're not Raven."

She looked at him innocently, "Skyton, I'm Raven alright, there's nothing wrong with me. I've just gone home to my people. Try to understand. I still love you."

"And I hate you, because you're only a shell of what Raven was," Skyton growled standing. Raven stood too and backed away into the corner as he approached.

"I'm more Raven then you ever knew her to be. What do you think we daemons are? The good folk of happy-go lucky world? You think I'm like that twerp, Starfire? No!"

Skyton slammed her up against the wall and held her wrists back, she groaned with pleasure as their bodies touched. Skyton threw her hands down, "Stop it! You're not some little fuck! What are you doing? What did Slade do to you"  
Raven pushed him back, her fingers on his chest, "Calm yourself Skyton. There's nothing to worry about"  
"Nothing to worry about! I thought you were being raped down below when you disappeared. And what about Starfire, what the hell was Slade doing to her? I suppose he was just giving Star some innocent sex Ed wasn't he"  
Raven threw her head back and cackled, "Stupid man, there are bigger things at stake here than one woman's rights"  
"The woman I loved would never have said that"  
"The woman you loved is standing right in front of you. You're just too blind to see it"  
Slade strode in, fully dressed, leaving Skyton feeling more than inadequate. He kissed Raven, wrapping an arm around her shoulder.  
"You always had a thing for younger women didn't you Slade," Skyton smirked.  
"I wouldn't be making such insulting taunts if I were you"  
"What are you going to do? Kill me?" Skyton asked, "Slade, killing me would be a welcome release from this hellish life of mine"  
"Hell? All three worlds are hell now. My home, earth, and heaven. By the by, I must thank you for bringing my spy there. You've really helped me out"  
Skyton clenched his jaw and looked around, catching the sight of two daemons dragging Starfire between them.  
"Skyton!" She called. Skyton looked at her with sadness and turned away. "Slade, I wouldn't mind getting dressed"  
Slade raised and eyebrow, "That's against angel tradition"  
"Well now, I'm not much of an angel anyway. I just brought about the end of the angel rule"  
"I couldn't have asked for a worthier father to my wife's children," Slade said.  
Skyton breathed in shallowly, "May I ask for something Slade"  
"Please, ask away"  
"Try and stay still while I rip your major organs out," Skyton said calmly while pouncing on Slade and sticking his hand deep into Slade's heart. Slade coughed and collapsed.  
Skyton got up, wiping the blood on the sheets. Raven looked at him, entirely unfazed, "What do you think you've solved now"  
Skyton clenched his stomach muscles and swung a punch at Raven who predictably threw him against the wall with ease. The restraints around his wrists came back and Raven left quietly; a black dress shirt and slacks were thrown into the room. The restraints were dissolved and a red beast with scaly wings lumbered into the room.  
"The queen requests that you meet her outside for the birth of her children. No questions asked, do it or die"  
"Wait, " Skyton called as the creature was leaving, "what about Starfire"  
"The girl has been sent to Raven for a faster pregnancy. She will be there when you arrive. Hurry"  
The beast stood there as Skyton got dressed. The clothing was perfectly fit and he rolled his shoulders adjusting the shirt. Skyton was about to walk away when he turned, "Hurry"  
The creature turned a red neon eye gazing upon him. Skyton looked carefully at the massive creature. It was at least two feet taller than he. Skyton was puzzled. "What do you care? You're just out to kill us all"  
The beasts right arm suddenly folded three different ways revealing a large blue sonic cannon. The creature looked Skyton in the eye saying quietly, "Booyah." 


	7. Finale

The building, unlike the streets outside, was still swarming with the daemons. The walls were filthy, some covered in goo or saliva, sometimes blood. Skyton walked up to a corner by the wall and peered around. Skyton gestured to Cyborg that there were three beasts and Cyborg swung around the corner blasting as he wont, two of them fell to his cannon, another died from bleeding hours later after falling unconscious. Skyton and Cyborg continued their rampage through the building, discovering that it was a police garrison. Skyton grabbed a small pistol and a couple of magazines. The handle was warm and he assumed that one of the creatures had been using it.

When they reached the exterior doors the light from the small window was dim. The sun should have been up at that time. On Cyborg's count of three they swung the doors open only to be greeted by a long dark tunnel made up of dark energy. Cyborg blinked his human eye, "Raven has grown more powerful as a full daemon."

"That isn't Raven," Skyton protested as they began to walk through the tunnel. The angels outside were trying to pound their way in, to no avail.

"You know it is. You just don't want to admit it. Look when the time comes, if you need to kill her, your going to have to. She won't let me close enough. She already knew that I was who I am before. Even in this disguise she knew but for some reason she didn't rat me out. Maybe she hasn't let go entirely, but I have. You have to be ready."

"Cyborg, I'm going to do whatever I need to do."

The tunnel opened into a black dome. Raven was in the center, her eyes appeared to be streaming black steam. Starfire was huddled to one side of the dome in all her bareness, her eyes wide with fear. Skyton stood at the entrance.

"You used to be a woman I loved. Can you be her for one last time, or is she completely dead."

Raven sighed with exasperation, "I told you before it is me. People don't change Skyton, it is how we see them react in the new situations that are presented to them. This is me, just me after seeing what is right."

"So she is dead. You will-"

"Because you are so ignorant, she is dead to you!"

Skyton was silent. What she had said was right, but what she was doing wasn't. He thought he knew how to reach the old Raven though, if this didn't work raven's final battle would be upon her.

"Do you still love me, Raven?" Skyton asked the daemon.

"Of course, I just fu-"

"No, you did that for yourself, do you really love me"  
Raven looked at him her eyes watering, the dome flickered and two angels flew in before the dome closed again. Raven blasted them from the sky growing furious.  
She tore herself emotionally from Skyton, cutting a piece of herself off, is what it felt like, "No," she whispered.  
Raven sent streaks of black lightening towards Starfire who arched in pain, screaming and begging for mercy, smoky black substances flowed from her genitals, slowly forming different shaped creatures.  
Skyton inhaled, tears running down his cheek, "I'm sorry Star, you've been like a sister to me." Skyton closed his eyes and pulled the trigger of his gun. The gun bucked in his hand, a small spark, a bullet, the end of a woman's life. The shrieking ended. Her soul died; no more would she exist anywhere. Her body lay there, her children destroyed. Raven stood in silence, her project failed. She contained the last of the super daemon. She looked at Skyton, "Damn you"  
The dome dissipated and the angels rushed in, killing Raven in a few swift blows. Her body fell, the angels swarming over her. Skyton watched as the angels covered Raven. The gun had more than enough bullets. Not thinking, he cocked the gun and sent them into oblivion. There were three more when he finished. Cyborg backed away and began to run in the other direction, eyes wide with fear and misery. Skyton calmed himself before putting the gun to his own head. No more hiding place, nowhere else to run. No more friends, not a family to speak of. The gun shot the bullet forward and into Skyton head; Skyton fell to his knees awkwardly.

"NO!" He shot twice more into his skull and fell over backwards.  
Nightwing laughed from on top of the nearest building. The wind blew his long hair back. He laughed at the bodies below, laughed at his fallen teammates, laughed at his victory, "Checkmate Skyton"  
He turned, watching Cyborg run for his life, "Come Cyborg," he whispered, "We have unfinished business"  
End Of Without Redemption. 


	8. Bonus: Series Finale

Nightwing slipped down off the building with an elaborate series of movements. The ground was littered with debris and it began to rain. Nightwing whistled a jaunty tune as he began to run after a frightened and unaware Cyborg. Nightwing was silent enough that he wasn't caught until he was two paces behind Cyborg. The half machine turned knocking Nightwing off his feet.

"You Mo Fo!" he said blasting a hole into the ground where Nightwing was. However Nightwing was smart enough to have moved away. Cyborg swung his fist at his enemy, the mechanisms in his arm moving as fast as they could. They were fast enough to clip Nightwing and send him off balance. Nightwing used his staff to catch himself mid-fall and walk backwards, taunting Cyborg. He slipped into an alley, disappearing in the evening light. There was a scream from within the alley and a pair of red eyes blinked, looking at Cyborg who fired his cannon, it hit the ground and a pair of dark, scaly purple wings took off pulling a body with it, it twirled upwards and hovered somewhere between one hundred and on hundred and fifty feet above Cyborg's head, the voice carried easily over the distance, a smooth seductive voice that Cyborg thought he knew.

"Haven't you noticed something about Raven and I? Every time our bodies stop our souls go on. Every time I die my physical body is reanimated by a different personality. Welcome Cyborg to the third you will have met. I think you know who I am."

The creature rocketed towards where Skyton had dropped. Not a long distance, Cyborg caught up quickly observed the place where the carnage had taken place. Raven was gone, he expected as much. A smooth voice behind him tempted him to look back. Raven's sleek beautiful body stood close behind him. The creature that flew above flew down. It was predictably Skyton. He had been transformed from his old self. His wings were different his eyes, his skin darker.

Raven was different to. Her skin was richer and peachier. Her face remained relatively unchanged and she wore what must have been his old clothes but they were torn and ragged. Skyton wore what he had been seen in only a few minuets ago.

Raven spoke, "This can't be our last journey, nothing ever can be. I'm afraid that you won't be joining us where we are going. You see, Skyton and I are one and the same. Have you not noticed our personalities are matched so perfectly, our actions, so very much the same, our paths in life following the same trail. I only learned this but a few moments ago, but death can reveal so many things. I am not the only child of Trigon. It appears I've found my brother."

Skyton sighed and looked around before continuing the story, "So Raven and I are to release this world of its misery, mostly caused by us, using whatever knowledge we have we are to trap ourselves in another world, perhaps on with a limited population…"

Cyborg stopped him, "Y'all aren't joking now are ya? I mean I just saw you die. I must be dreaming."

"Cyborg, tell me, what good has happened to you since I entered you life when you were sixteen?"

Cyborg thought for a moment, and then it occurred to him, "I saw my two best friends become happy with each other. I finally saw raven smile. By the power invested in me by the state of California I now pronounce you man and wife."

Skyton laughed, "We can marry,"

Raven continued, "We told you,"

Suddenly their bodies drifted into each other becoming a black cloud with a similar shape to a humanoid, "We are one and the same," it said their voices as one.

"Good luck Cyborg, with the world so contaminated wand destroyed you stand a good chance at becoming a leader of this world, you have a life ahead of you and with us we take most of your misery."

They vanished; Cyborg sighed and looked towards the pier. A Ferris wheel stood there, part of the carnival. He made his way there and activated it, and then jumped it. He sat there until the sun went down and then made his way home. 


End file.
